The Libya debacle is not merely a case of inadequate security. It is a case of willful blindness to the progress of al-Qaeda in a locale that the Obama team had boasted was a grand success for its “leading from behind” strategy. The administration despite every available bit of evidence continued to cling to a false narrative, and repeat that narrative to the public, because it refused to recognize that Libya was a terrorist victory, not a U.S. success story.
In August 2012, the United States knew that Libya had become a terrorist hell hole. In a Library of Congress report, we then knew:
Al-Qaeda has tried to exploit the “Arab Awakening” in North Africa for its own purposes during the past year. Al-Qaeda Senior Leadership (AQSL), based in Pakistan, is likely seeking to build a clandestine network in Libya as it pursues its strategy of reinforcing its presence in North Africa and the Middle East, taking advantage of the “Arab Awakening” that has disrupted existing counterterrorism capabilities. Although AQSL’s previous attempt to co-opt the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) was inconclusive, the Libyan Revolution may have created an environment conducive to jihad and empowered the large and active community of Libyan jihadists, which is known to be well connected to international jihad.
As many opponents of U.S. involvement in Libya had warned, al-qaeda was flourishing in Libya. (“[A] few hundred” jihadists were operating there, according to the report.) The report noted, “Al-Qaeda’s clandestine network is likely recruiting local militiamen in order to infiltrate and manipulate militias, which are expected, at least for a while, to maintain their armed capabilities and political clout.”
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